Emily Henry really said, ‘Here, cry and laugh at the same time’
Aspiring writer Alice Scott and renowned journalist Hayden Anderson find themselves on Emily Henry really said, ‘Here, cry and laugh at the same time’
Aspiring writer Alice Scott and renowned journalist Hayden Anderson find themselves on Little Crescent Island, both determined to secure the chance to write the life story of the mysterious Margaret Ives. Once a notorious socialite and heir to a scandal-ridden family, Margaret has been out of the public eye for years. Now in her eighties, she finally agrees to share her story—but only with the writer who proves themselves worthy after a month-long trial.
This book takes a different turn from Emily Henry’s usual romance novels, and I think that might catch some readers off guard. While there’s still romance, a big part of the story is Margaret’s— the woman Alice and Hayden are competing to write about. Her tale unfolds like a classic family saga, giving major Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes, which I wasn’t mad about.
I can see how the shift in focus might surprise some readers, but my advice? Embrace it. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about diving into Margaret’s complicated family history, but once I got invested, it truly paid off. Her story becomes compelling, adding depth to the novel and making the reading experience even richer.
“Neither of us can afford to be pulling punches here. If either of us doesn’t give this our all, we’ll regret it. And then we’ll resent each other for it. And I don’t know if I can handle being the one person on the planet Alice Scott doesn’t like.” “Oh, I’m sure you could,” I tell him.
Of course, Alice and Hayden’s dynamic delivered everything I love about Emily Henry—fun, cute, and filled with moments that had me giggling. Their connection was beautiful, and their deep conversations added so much heart.
“Nothing else is going to matter to me more than that. Not at the end of my life. Not even now. Nothing will matter more than who I spent my time with, and I want it to be you.”
Great Big Beautiful Life had it all—romance, humor, a bit of mystery, and yes, it made me sob. But more than anything, it left me thinking about cherishing the time we have with the people we love.
Now, back to waiting (im)patiently for my next Emily Henry fix.
thank you to Penguin Random House UK for the E-Arc...more
I’d do anything to go back to that happy place, outside of time, where nothing from real life can touch us.
Harriet and Wyn were a perfect couple - bu
I’d do anything to go back to that happy place, outside of time, where nothing from real life can touch us.
Harriet and Wyn were a perfect couple - but five months ago they broke up and told none of their friends about it.
That's why Harriet finds herself bunking with Wyn in the bedroom at the cottage they've been going to with their besties every year for the past ten years. For one glorious week, they ditch their real lives, and soak up the salty air with their favorite people.
However, this year, Harriet and Wyn are telling a big old lie. The cottage is up for sale, so this is their last hurrah. They can't bear to break their friends' hearts, so they'll just pretend like everything's all good for one more week.
It's a perfect plan - if they can pretend to still be head-over-heels in love with each other in front of their closest friends.
“No,” he says quietly. “In every universe, it's you for me. Even if it's not me for you.”
It doesn't feel like reading when i open up an Emily Henry book. The characters are living and breathing. They feel so real. I find myself lost in their lives, feeling their emotions and experiencing their struggles alongside them. One of the things that makes EH's writing so compelling is her ability to delve deeply into the psyches of her characters, making them feel like fully formed individuals with complex inner lives.
In this book the chapters alternate between the present and their relationship over the years, from the moment Harriet and Wyn met, fell in love, and their eventual break-up. The past chapters (aka Happy Place chapters) were so full of joy and love and it was adorable af watching them fall for each other - but it also made reading the present chapters (aka Real Life chapters) so much harder to read after knowing how MUCh they loved each other.
Another thing i absolutely love that Emily Henry is so good at is how she skillfully incorporates popular tropes into her scenes without making them feel forced or cringey.
Harriet and Wyn are everything. i don’t remember loving a book ship as much as i love these two. They might just be my fav EH couple. The side characters were also funny and loveable and not boring to read about, i was invested in the friendships in the book as much as the romance.
My emotions are still reeling and I have no idea how I am going to pick up another book after HP.
I could go on and on about this book but all I’m gonna say is that you need to read this!! Preorder and save the date. You wont be the same after Happy Place!
Thanks to Penguin for sending me an e-arc for review...more
Rintaro Natsuki spends most of his time lost in towering shelves of Natsuki Books - his grandfathers second-hand bookstore.
When his grandfather passeRintaro Natsuki spends most of his time lost in towering shelves of Natsuki Books - his grandfathers second-hand bookstore.
When his grandfather passes away, Rintaro becomes an even bigger recluse than he was before. Alone and devastated, Rintaro is finding it hard to leave his beloved bookstore. As he is preparing to pack up the shop to go live with his aunt a talking cat appears who requires the help of a book lover. And so Rintaro goes with the cat on three quests to save books.
I think the power of books is that - that they teach us to care about others.
This was a charming little book that was easy to read. I think this would make a great book for kids to teach them a love for books.
However, I found that some of the "saving" that Rintaro and the cat were doing was unnecessary. It felt preachy and overly dramatic. I found it irritating how the duo seemed to think of themselves as the saviors of books, and how they judged how and when others read and what they do with their own books. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I found it really annoying.
Overall, I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't highly recommend it or look out for future books by this author.
Many thank to PanMacmillan and Picador for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review...more
Crying in H Mart is a memoir by Michelle Zauner, lead singer of indie band Japanese Breakfast.
This book is a look into her life growing up as the onlyCrying in H Mart is a memoir by Michelle Zauner, lead singer of indie band Japanese Breakfast.
This book is a look into her life growing up as the only Korean American kid in her small town. Of her rebellious adolescent years trying to hide her identity and her rocky relationship with her mother. Of her struggles pursuing her career in music much to the disappointment of her mom.
Despite their differences Michelle and her mom always connect through one thing: their love for food. When her mother becomes sick, Michelle drops everything to be there for her.
“I had spent my adolescence trying to blend in with my peers in suburban America, and had come of age feeling like my belonging was something to prove. Something that was always in the hands of other people to be given and never my own to take, to decide which side I was on, whom I was allowed to align with. I could never be of both worlds, only half in and half out, waiting to be ejected at will by someone with greater claim than me. Someone whole.”
First of all can i get a round of applause for actually bothering to read nonfiction *takes a bow*
So yes, usually i don’t read nonfiction because it tends to remind me of textbooks and i ain’t about to read something that makes me feel like I’m back in school. However, memoirs are the small exception and after finishing this book i realized that i need to make an effort to read more of them.
When i found out that Michelle Zauner was in fact a singer, I immediately grabbed my phone and searched Japanese Breakfast on Spotify. Listening to her music while reading her book was a whole vibe, which i highly recommend. Also make sure to have plenty of tissues and food with you when you read this. You will cry and the amazing food description will make you so hungry.
This book was an experience that I was unprepared for.
The writing was unfiltered and real and raw. The way she described how her relationship with her mom changed over time, their clashing personalities and arguments over lifestyle choices but underlying all of that the unbreakable love of a mother and her daughter.
“Maybe I was just terrified that I might be the closest thing she had to leaving a piece of herself behind.”
I think its easy for us to judge Michelle. Would she have made an effort to connect with her mom if she hadn’t gotten sick? Who knows? But neither Michelle nor her mother were perfect, and mistakes were made on both sides.
“Cooking my mother’s food had come to represent an absolute role reversal, a role I was meant to fill. Food was an unspoken language between us, had come to symbolize our return to each other, our bonding, our common ground.”
Michelle gives us an unfiltered view into what its really like taking care of someone with cancer. To be honest i found those parts really hard to read.
Crying in H Mart had me in tears. Nay. I was straight up sobbing.
This book made me appreciate my mother more. It made me think about the time I have left with her. All the moments we will still share and everything she still has to teach me. Parts of my own history and culture that I still want to know.
It’s been weeks since finished this book and i still can’t get it out of my head. One of the best books I’ve read all year.
thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy for review...more
I honestly don't know how to review this book. There were parts i liked and others I didn't. I sympathised with Aaron and his situation, all the terriI honestly don't know how to review this book. There were parts i liked and others I didn't. I sympathised with Aaron and his situation, all the terrible things that happened that turned him into a person who doesn't open up and always questions others intentions.
But that didn't stop me from being irritated with him for most of the book.
I liked the save the bookshop plot and the friends he made a long the way. Chad and Ira were such wholesome characters and i loved the builder guys.
The romance part was bland and uninteresting. And i had to stop myself from shouting at Hannah to run far away from this dude.
In conclusion I'm happy with how the story ended although it was a very lacklustre read.
you mention spinning silver and the bear and the nightingale AND I AM THERE.
CONTENT WARNINGS (as provided by the author) (view spoiler)[- Gore, includyou mention spinning silver and the bear and the nightingale AND I AM THERE.
CONTENT WARNINGS (as provided by the author) (view spoiler)[- Gore, including graphic descriptions of dismemberment, amputation, mutilation, and immolation - Torture, including whipping - Self-harm, including self-amputation - Animal death (graphic; the animals are not pets) - Antisemitism - Cultural genocide and ethnic cleansing - Physical abuse by parents and parental figures - Graphic descriptions of vomiting (hide spoiler)]
This is not YA, it is adult.
• release date: 8 June 2021 • « e-arc received from penguin random house in exchange for an honest review »...more
I'm serious when i say i had a huge grin on my face from page one. Like: i-dont-want-this-to -end-yes-give-me-more kinda grin
A wedding. A trip to SI'm serious when i say i had a huge grin on my face from page one. Like: i-dont-want-this-to -end-yes-give-me-more kinda grin
A wedding. A trip to Spain. The most infuriating man. And three days of pretending. Or in other words, a plan that will never work.
Catalina Martìn has four weeks to find a fake boyfriend to attend her sisters wedding with her back home in Spain.
What she didnt expect was for her nemesis and coworker, Aaron Blackford, to volunteer himself for the job.
Catalina vows to find someone else. But when it becomes apparent that Aaron is her only option, Lina throws all her efforts into making sure their deception is flawless.
Through wedding festivities and family shenanigans it becomes easier to pretend to be in love. Lines start to blur and suddenly Lina doesnt feel like she's acting anymore.
Real talk: this book was so addictive!
The further i read the more i felt like it was written specifically with all my favourite tropes in mind.
If you love: fake relationship, office romance, big nosy families, hate to love, theres only one bed, grumpy and sunshine, slow burn, stolen glances, tension, adorableness that you cant resist, ...more
This book was published after the death of Jane Austen by her brother Henry. It includes the novella Lady Susan and two fragments of books that AustenThis book was published after the death of Jane Austen by her brother Henry. It includes the novella Lady Susan and two fragments of books that Austen was working on before her death.
Lady Susan
The novella is told in the form of letters about a woman called Lady Susan who recently lost her husband and is now on the hunt for a new one.
- This novella was amazing. It was unlike any of Austen's other stories. Lady Susan is scandalous and not a good person but the writing (as usual) and style was so captivating — i was living for the drama!!
The Watsons
Emma Watson returns home, after being fostered by her aunt for years, where she reacquaints herself with her family and her town.
- This snippet was so good and all the characters seemed so intriguing. I got Persuasion vibes from it and I kinda hate that i read this because now i will never know what happens next ...more
The Prophet, Al Mustafa, is about to board a ship after his exile of 12 years in Orphalese, to return to his home. Before he embarks, he is stopped byThe Prophet, Al Mustafa, is about to board a ship after his exile of 12 years in Orphalese, to return to his home. Before he embarks, he is stopped by the towns people to impart some last wisdom.
This is a collection of 26 poetic essays that vary in subject from love, pain, friendship, giving and many more.
Growing up, our house was filled with Kahlil Gibran books. My parents have a huge collection of his works and have always encouraged me to give them a try. However I've always been a bit daunted and never knew exactly where to start. My mother suggested The Prophet.
I was so overjoyed when I received this copy, which came to me as a surprise.
My edition (the Alma Classics edition, published 2020) included illustrations by Gibran himself. I loved looking at them and they were such a great addiction to the poetry itself.
My heart felt full while reading this spiritual classic. The wisdom imparted spoke to me. And I feel like even if poetry isn't your thing you'd still find something in this book that speaks to you.
I highly recommend taking your time, savour it in small increments and reflect on each essay.
« Thank you to Jonathan Ball publishers for gifting me a copy » ...more
While in Monte Carlo a young woman meets Maxim de Winter, a handsome widower. By the end of the tr“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
While in Monte Carlo a young woman meets Maxim de Winter, a handsome widower. By the end of the trip he proposes and she leaves her life behind to go live with with him on his estate, Manderley. Once there, the young bride struggles to fit into her place as the new Mrs. de Winter when Manderley seems to be full of the memories of the old one.
Rebecca was atmospheric and haunting, and was filled with the gothic mystery vibes i was expecting. Its the kind of book you read on a cold day and i seriously regretted not reading in autumn.
The writing was beautiful and descriptive. The first half was slow paced, which made the plot twists and reveals in the second hit even harder.
The author did a fantastic job setting the scene and leaving the reader with a sense of foreboding and uneasiness, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The characters weren’t very likeable which I think made it very interesting. The second Mrs. de Winters was so naïve and her lack of self-worth frustrated me, and I had absolutely no respect or love for Maxim.
But one does not need to like the characters in order to enjoy a book.
The last quarter of Rebecca had me on the edge of my seat biting my nails, as the pace picked up and unexpected reveals occurred.
“Time will mellow it, make it a moment for laughter. But now it was not funny, now I did not laugh. It was not the future, it was the present. It was too vivid and too real.”
I’d recommend this book to literary fiction lovers and anyone looking for a slow paced spooky book for a rainy day.
Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers and Hachette for sending me a copy of this book for review. --- Buddy read with Türkan...more
“When I was your age, I wanted to be someone else too.” “Who’d you wanna be, Dad?” “Someone important. You know why I call you Little Indian? So that yo
“When I was your age, I wanted to be someone else too.” “Who’d you wanna be, Dad?” “Someone important. You know why I call you Little Indian? So that you know you’re already someone important.”
This is the story of Betty Carpenter and her family as they move from place to place until they finally settle in Breathed, Ohio on the foothills of the Appalachian mountains.
The Carpenters don’t fit in anywhere. Betty’s father, Landon, is Cherokee and her mother, Alka, is white. Betty, of all of her siblings inherited the most of her fathers Cherokee features finds it hard to blend in and come to terms with her place in the world. She finds solace and comfort in her family and Landon’s stories as he teaches his children to love the land and to never forget their ancestors and where they came from.
Through the years of poverty and struggle in Breathed, Betty witnesses horrors of cruelty and violence. Needing an escape she writes these events down, tells the stories of her family’s dark past and present, and buries it deep in the ground.
We follow the family from the 1930s — the moment Landon and Alka meet — until Betty, their youngest daughter enters adulthood.
This book was equally hard to read and magical at the same time. The first thing that swept me away was the writing. It was enchanting and lyricle. Poetic and mesmerising.
I don’t know if it’s because this book was more personal to the author or what? — but the way she wrote the setting and the characters was spectacular. It all felt so real and the characters each felt so distinct.
Some characters I hated with all my guts (if you know, you know ...more
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